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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26331859">Why Aren't There Guns in Minecraft</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueDblue62/pseuds/BlueDblue62'>BlueDblue62</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hermitcraft RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Real World, Blood and Injury, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Gun Violence, Heavy Angst, Hurt No Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:21:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,912</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26331859</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueDblue62/pseuds/BlueDblue62</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This isn't in minecraft world it's in the real world where guns and gangs and police exist and also you don't respawn :)</p><p>This was titled "LOL death" in my google docs</p><p>Um. Yeah</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>None</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Why Aren't There Guns in Minecraft</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Once again proving I can only write 2 things: sex and violence</p><p>Crave violence!!! </p><p>This was inspired by Iskall's character being an ex assassin and so the idea here is that he's upset some bad people he worked with in the past and now they are not happy :/ </p><p>Obligatory "not about the real people" disclaimer</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>There wasn't even a chance for Grian to get out of bed that morning before getting jumped in his own home, being woken up abruptly by a hand pressing a foul smelling cloth to his face. He had tried to fight back in his half asleep state, but the masked men who had broken into his house were larger than him and overpowered him easily, pinning his thrashing limbs to the bed. All it took was a few minutes of struggling before his body unable to fight anymore and unwillingly went lax from the effects of the chloroform. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It felt like no time had passed when he began to register the feeling in his arms and legs coming back to him, but his head  was still dizzy and disoriented. He felt the heavy weight of a cloth gag on his tongue first, testing his voice and having his fears confirmed when only a muffled noise escaped his covered mouth. Upon opening his eyes, he saw nothing, making his heart rate pick up more. Unable to see his surroundings, Grian was hyper aware of the bite of metal at his wrists, someone roughly grabbing him by one of his arms and making the cuffs dig into his skin painfully. He quickly tried to pull away,  being abruptly manhandled onto his feet and forced to start walking. The suddenness of going from sitting to standing so quickly made his head spin and he felt queasy for a moment, trying to fight back against whoever was now pushing him forward with a firm hand on his shoulder. He refused to take any steps forward even when given a warning push from the person behind him. The sound of an irritated growl was his only warning before a fist was buried in his hair, tugging hard on it to get him to follow. Grian let out a muffled scream behind the cloth gag, tears gathering in his eyes at the sudden sharp pain in his scalp. He instinctively stepped forward to ease the pain, his legs shaky as he was blindly led by his hair. Grian was lost in his own head for most of the walk, wondering how he got here, why him, what was happening, and how he was going to get out of this mess. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was pulled from his scrambled thoughts by the shrill creak of a door opening in front of him. He felt himself shaking with adrenaline as he stood still, blind to the world and an impending feeling of dread weighing on his stomach with every second that ticked by. He flinched at the feeling of hands at the back of his head, but didn't duck away like he wanted to when he realized the cloth gag tied around his head was being undone. He stood still as the gag was pulled away, foreign fingers getting just a little too close to his mouth. Grian impulsively bit down the second the fingers were close enough to his teeth, satisfied by the shout of pain that came from the man who had dragged him here. He didn't get time to feel proud for long however, a pain exploding in his head as a hand came down hard on the back of his skull, the force of it strong enough to send him stumbling forward, falling face first onto the stone floor without his hands to break the fall. The heavy door slammed shut behind him, as angry, receding footsteps signalled the departure of the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Grian?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grian almost missed the sound of someone calling his name, his ears ringing and his head pounded from the impact on the floor. He was surprised he hadn't broken his nose, wondering briefly if he suffered any internal damage. He prepared to fight when he heard footsteps in front of him, but the voice that spoke made him stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just sit still for a moment, and don't bite me like you did that guard. It was funny to watch, but I am not sure if it was worth it." The familiar accented voice spoke softly, devoid of any humor that would have been there in any other situation. Gentle hands helped him up to a kneeling position, Grian's face no longer pressed against the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iskall?" He whispered, as though if he spoke too loudly he would disappear. This all felt like an awful nightmare. He didn't want the first good thing he encountered today to go so soon. He felt the blindfold lifted away from his face, and Grian had to blink a few times to adjust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hallo." Iskall replied flatly, his face coming into focus finally. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, his beard disheveled and his organic eye was sad and dark. The playful, kind glint Grian remembered seeing in the man's eye was nowhere to be found, finding himself instead staring at the face of a broken man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iskall, what's going on…?" Grian asked, eyes focused on his friend. Iskall stepped back away from him, dropping the blindfold to the floor and leaning against the wall behind him with a slouch that looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even without taking his eyes off of Iskall's face, Grian could tell the room was small, making him feel a bit claustrophobic already. There were no windows, only a single light on the ceiling that cast a white, artificial light onto Iskall's troubled face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I… don't want to get into it. There isn't time." He muttered, not meeting Grian's dark eyes. "I know it doesn't make sense and it probably never will, life is just unfair, ok?" He continued, his voice full of guilt and regret. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you on about? Did </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> help kidnap me or something? Is that why I'm handcuffed and you aren't?" Grian demanded, fear creeping into his voice. Something was terribly wrong, the feeling making him a little queasy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall shook his head but didn't answer, reaching behind his back and revealing a handgun. The sight of it made Grian's heart rate spike, confusion mounting with every new curveball that was thrown his way. A shuddering gasp coming from beside him surprised Grian, turning his head quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mumbo! Have you been there this whole time?" Grian gasped, taking in the state of his friend. His suit jacket was gone, leaving him in a dirty, white undershirt and red tie. Mumbo didn't react to Grian's voice, his eyes wide and scared, focused on the gun in Iskall's hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He was brought in a minute or two before you were. I thought you'd already seen him and just… didn't say anything. I can't believe you missed him." Iskall seemed to be attempting a joke, but the forced chuckle just sounded wrong. Grian instinctively shuffled closer to Mumbo, the stricken look in his friends face making him want to offer some sort of comfort. "He's not said a word since they left him here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Could you put the gun away? You're clearly freaking him out, it isn't funny. I've never seen him like this." Grian scolded shakily, still on edge. "What's the gun even for, anyway? If you have a weapon can't you shoot off our cuffs or something and get us out of here? This isn't making any sense." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The gun only has one bullet in it." Iskall replied, looking at the weapon in his hands with a troubled scowl. A red light suddenly flashed above Grian's head, startling him into looking up and behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small LED screen no bigger than the average digital clock had lit up on the opposite wall, the red of the numbers on the screen making him squint his eyes at the bright light. He watched as the numbers on the board flashed "5:00", briefly wondering if it was showing the current time, before it ticked down to "4:59". The number continued to go down, a sinking feeling in Grian's gut getting heavier with every second that ticked past. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked back at Iskall, the swede's face not having changed at all at the new development. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iska-" Grian stopped and held his breath when the gun was suddenly pointed in his direction. Iskall's eye was serious and focused, his hands shaking slightly where he held the grip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can explain this much, those bastards want one of you dead before that timer runs out. They said they would do worse than kill all three of us if I didn't do what they said." He said coldly, his tone sending a chill up Grian's spine. Never in his life had he felt so afraid and unsafe in the company of his swedish friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt Mumbo shift next to him, watching as the man's head dropped down, staring at the floor with tears in his eyes. Mumbo looked like he had seen a ghost, or watched someone die in front of his eyes. The second one might not be too far from the truth in a bit if Iskall was being serious. Grian desperately wished he had his hands free, wanting nothing more than to put his arms around Mumbo's shoulders to comfort the other man, anything to make the absolute horror painted on his pale face disappear. Grian instead looked back at Iskall, eyes pleading.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You can't be serious about this. This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> a funny prank, you know!" His voice went up a few octaves, giving away his fear. "You wouldn't do this Iskall, you're a good man! I know you'd never hurt your friends intentionally!" He said in a pleading tone. Iskall didn't lower the gun, though his eyes flashed with sadness for just a moment before the steely, neutral expression was back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't know me very well then." He said slowly, his voice cracking subtly as he fought to keep up the tough persona. He couldn't afford to back out now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on, just put the gun away and we can talk about this like adults. You can finally explain what the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell </span>
  </em>
  <span>is going on, and we can all escape from… wherever we are now." Grian attempted a soothing voice like he was talking down an angry wild animal, heart beating rapidly. "This is sick, don't you see, you're just playing into their tricks! These... people you mentioned, they are sick for making you kill one of your friends! Be the better man and put the gun down."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall shut his eye tightly, eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was having his own conflict in his head, hands becoming more shaky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iskall, put the gun down and get me and Mumbo out of these cuffs, we can all go home and forget about this." Grian continued when he got no response. "Iskall? Iskall are you listen-" he stopped and choked on his breath when Iskall moved, Grian's eyes watching the gun change targets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched in rapt horror as Iskall raised the gun up his own head, his hands tangling in his short hair in a clear sign of distress. Grian let out a shaky exhale when he realized Iskall </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>about to shoot himself, his body shaking from adrenaline at the scare. Grian snuck a look over his shoulder at the timer on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three minutes and thirty-six seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking back at Iskall with renewed desperation, he found himself staring down the barrel of the handgun once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If I don't do as they say, all three of us will </span>
  <em>
    <span>wish</span>
  </em>
  <span> we were dead." Iskall said hoarsely, desperate to convey how serious this was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What if this is some sort of morality test? And the real way to get out is to prove that you wouldn't shoot your friends?" Grian's panic was rising, pulling out all the stops to try and convince Iskall to back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How do you know for sure? You-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I assure you, it-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But you don't know-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Grian, please just stop!" Iskall raised his voice, his voice laced with anguish. "You are not making this any easier!" He took in a shuddering breath, almost like he was trying not to cry. Grian's heart sank, both at the heartbreaking noise that came from his friend and from his waning hope of getting out of here with both of his friends by his side. He saw Iskall's pained gaze move to look to his side, reminding Grian of the silent man still next to him, who hadn't spoken a word since Grian had been thrown in here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mumbo, don't you have anything to say about this? You've got to back me up, Iskall won't listen to me!" Grian cried, the other man's head still bowed like he was praying. Frustrated by the lack of response, Grian gave his friend a nudge with his elbow, only able to move it slightly before the cuffs on his wrist began to pinch his skin again. It was enough to make contact, though Mumbo didn't flinch, or make any noise at the light jab. Grian watched with wide eyes as his friend fell to the side like a ragdoll, the thump of his shoulder hitting the stone floor deafening in the small room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh my god- Mumbo- What did they do to him!? Mumbo!" Grian panicked, almost losing his balance as he hurriedly shuffled closer to his friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's- He's fine." Grian stopped when he heard Iskall speak again. "He's only passed out. I had a feeling he would, from the second they brought him in here and I briefly told him what was about to happen, he looked like he was going to faint." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall's voice got quieter as he spoke, eyes fixed on the unconscious body of his friend. Grian watched in horror as the gun shifted a miniscule amount, clearly now pointed at Mumbo. Mumbo, who couldn't speak up or defend his life at the moment. It felt wrong, and Grian couldn't watch it happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No!" He yelped, crawling closer on his knees to Mumbo's form to get the swede's attention. Iskall grimaced, not moving his line of fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"One of you has to go, Grian! He won't even feel a thing, he's already out cold. He- He won't even know what happened." His voice was strained, like he was trying to convince himself, too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grian's breath was coming in quick, fearful gasps, eyes flicking between the gun and Mumbo. A thin whimper escaped Grian's throat when he heard a click, the sound of the bullet falling into place making him feel sick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait, wait!" Grian interrupted again, carefully crawling closer to Iskall on his knees. Iskall's pained stare focused on the kneeling man, the loaded gun turning to point at Grian's head as he got closer. He saw Iskall's eye look up over his shoulder for a moment, checking the timer. Grian heard the sharp intake of breath, knowing it meant time was running out without needing to check. His and Mumbo's lives were seriously in danger, this was not some sick joke, and he was out of options.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't look at the timer, just look at me." Grian demanded, Iskall looking back at him in surprise at his sudden serious tone. "I… I want you to shoot me. If you truly don't have a choice, shoot me." He said shakily, watching Iskall's eye widen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Grian…" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please, just get it over with. You and Mumbo have known eachother longer than you and I. He's your best friend, no one should have to kill their best friend."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But, you're also my best fr-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not the same, we both know it! Please Iskall, just shoot me. Mumbo can't even defend himself right now, it isn't fair. Shoot me." Grian repeated, now close enough to where he could press his forehead against the barrel of the gun, the cold metal making his heart jump in his chest. Grian's eyes closed tightly, unable to stop the fearful shaking of his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please, I know there can't be much time. I won't hate you for this, I promise." He said softly, his voice resigned. He heard Iskall's sob above him, a heartbreaking sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's ten seconds left." Iskall stated, his words heavy with emotion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Then make sure you do it quickly." Grian joked dryly, opening his eyes again and looking up at him from his kneeling position. "Iskall, as my friend, I'm asking, </span>
  <em>
    <span>begging</span>
  </em>
  <span> you to do me one last favor and spare Mumbo. He-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grian didn't get to finish his sentence before a bang cut him off, silencing him forever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall wasn't looking at the man in front of him, hardly processing any of the words being spoken anymore. All he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears, watching as the seconds ticked down on the wall across from him. His eyes leave the timer as the final one turns to a zero, feeling his finger pulling the trigger just as time ran out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watched as the bullet hit its point-blank target, knocking Grian's head back with the force of it. The dark hole that had been made in Grian's forehead gushed blood in an arc as he fell backwards, his body hitting the floor hard and making Iskall flinch at the resounding crack of his head hitting stone. Not like the extra damage mattered at this point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall was unable to tear his gaze away from the blood pouring out of the bullet wound and streaming down Grian's face, which was frozen in an expression of shock and pain. His upper body convulsed as the life left him, each small involuntary spasm causing another gush of blood to escape his head. With a final weak twitch, he fell still, head dropping to the side limply as blood continued to flow, the puddle around his head growing steadily. Iskall was minutely grateful that he didn't have to look at Grian's face anymore, only the back of his head visible from where Iskall stood. It hardly mattered however, Iskall was positive he would be plagued with nightmares of this day for years to come regardless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The silence that now filled the room was stifling, and Iskall felt the urge to scream out his frustrations just to fill the void. Instead, he threw the now empty gun to the side, the clattering of metal on stone shattering the silence momentarily. He took shaky steps toward Mumbo's body, still out cold and unaware of the horror that just occurred around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall carefully maneuvered his friend so he could uncuff him with the ring of keys he had been given before being locked in the room, being told to use it on the survivor of this ordeal. Once Mumbo's hands were free, Iskall stepped away until his back hit a wall. His knees gave out, his back sliding down the wall until he was sat on the floor, staring blankly at his remaining living friend. He felt exhausted, both mentally and physically. Nothing felt quite real, all of the previous events racing through his brain in a haze like he was recalling a movie he had just seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall brought his knees up to his chest, his throat tight with repressed sobs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was his fault, he didn't deserve to feel sad about it. Tears stung his eye as he focused on Mumbo's peaceful face, anything to keep his gaze from wandering to the bloody body still staining the floor red. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall began to regret all the bad decisions he's ever made, crossing these awful people being number one on the list at the moment. His hands went up to his head, tangling in his dark hair and tugging harshly as he fought every invasive thought telling him to look at the body, </span>
  <em>
    <span>look at what he did. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A wet hiccup forced its way past his lips, resting his forehead on his knees and letting himself cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mumbo could slowly feel his senses coming back to him, the first thing he registered being the cold, hard floor against his cheek. Next was the headache, a throbbing pain that he felt through his entire skull. Once the soft ringing in his ears died down, he could hear the sound of someone crying, the noise prompting him to attempt to open his eyes, which felt heavy and tired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blinking the blurriness away, he managed to move his arms underneath him, pushing himself into a sitting position. In front of him was a person, sitting on the floor with their knees to their chest and soft crying accompanied by trembling shoulders. Some memories returned to Mumbo's disoriented brain, flashes of seeing people he didn't know in his home, getting handcuffed by the unfamiliar people, finding himself in a room with Iskall. He had no idea how long he was out for, but he was more concerned about his crying friend at the moment then trying to figure out his own problems. Besides, the overpowering metallic scent in the room that invaded his senses wasn't making it easy to think clearly anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closed the short distance between him and Iskall, reaching out a hand and putting it on his friend's knee. Iskall flinched violently, gasping as he raised his head. His face was red and tear streaked, his eye still full of more unshed tears. Mumbo wasn't sure when the last time he had seen Iskall cry, or look so utterly broken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iskall opened his mouth like he was about to speak, then closed it again as his expression changed from shock to guilt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is everything ok? I mean- clearly it's not, I don't know why I asked that." Mumbo corrected quickly, taking his hand away from Iskall's knee when he got no positive reaction from the gesture. "Um. Can you tell me what's going on? That's- That's probably a more important question at the moment. I just woke up, was I out for long? Where even are we?" More questions tumbled from his mouth the more he thought, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the situation seemed to get more and more strange and wrong. He had a sick feeling in his gut, memories not quite coming back to him, but everything felt wrong. Iskall seemed to be trying to control his crying long enough to speak, his eye closed as he concentrated on calming down a bit. His voice was wobbly when he did speak finally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I- I can't tell you where we are, I'm sorry. You were out for only about 10 minutes but you were totally unresponsive for longer than that, I don't know how much you remember."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I remember getting up this morning, finding strange men in my house and then waking up here where I got handcuffed and put into a room with you." Mumbo rubbed his wrists where the cuffs had dug into his skin, a thoughtful frown on his face as he tried to recall more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't remember… anything else? Any conversations?" Iskall asked shakily, expression unreadable. Mumbo shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, you're going to have to fill me in, if you could?" He asked nervously, Iskall's hesitation making him unsure if he wanted to know anymore. Iskall swallowed hard, the hands in his hair tightening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You went unresponsive when I told you that… that something very bad was about to happen. That you might not make it out of this room alive." Iskall flinched at Mumbo's muffled gasp, looking away from his friend as guilt overtook his features. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh. Oh my. Uh, m-may I ask if that is still something I should worry about?" Mumbo asked, voice raised an octave higher in panic. Iskall shook his head, the gesture only calming his nerves little bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No. You're safe now." Iskall replied shortly, his tone tense. He still hadn't moved from where he was huddled in on himself on the floor, and Mumbo was getting antsy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shouldn't we be leaving then? This place is really creeping me out. Plus, it smells horrid." Mumbo wrapped his arms around himself in a hug, frowning at his friend when he didn't move to stand up. "Iskall…?" The swedish man let out another harsh sob at the sound of his name, his shoulders shaking anew. Mumbo had no idea what he said to set the man off again, as he seemed to have been calming down, but it didn't deter him from trying to placate him again with a hand on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It should be all three of us leaving together!" Iskall said suddenly. "This isn't right! I shouldn't have listened to him, I should have just shot myself! This is all my fault, I don't deserve to survive!" Iskall cried. Mumbo was taken aback by the outburst, unsure of where to even start.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What on earth are you on about? Don't talk about yourself like that Iskall, all of your friends love you, please don't say things like that." He begged shakily, hating hearing such things come out of his best friend's mouth. Iskall just shook his head and continued to cry, words becoming difficult. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't understand, this is all my fault, everything… you and Grian wouldn't have even ended up here if I hadn't been such an idiot-" Mumbo cut off Iskall's self deprecating words quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Grian? He's here as well?" He asked softly. Iskall didn't raise his head, attempting to speak again but all that came out was heaving sobs and mournful hiccups, the man gasping between renewed sobs like he couldn't catch his breath. Mumbo had definitely never seen his friend cry like this before, and the sight and sound shook him to his core. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh my word- Iskall, hey, look at me man, you need to breathe!" He put both his hands on either of Iskall's shoulders, shaking him gently to get his attention. Iskall raised his head finally, his cheeks red and tear streaked, his face crumpled into a heart wrenching picture of guilt and sorrow. Mumbo almost felt winded by the sight, such intense emotion making him feel a bit like crying as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, Iskall wasn't looking at Mumbo, instead looking past the taller man at something behind him. Mumbo turned to look over his shoulder, to see what had Iskall making such a soul crushing expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mumbo had no idea what to expect when he turned around. He felt elation for a moment upon seeing a familiar form wearing a red sweater and gray pants laying just a few feet away from them. His happiness disappated in an instant when he realized the figure was eerily still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Grian…?" Mumbo's voice broke as he said the name, slowly letting go of Iskall's shoulders to turn around properly to face the body of his friend. He heard Iskall's crying resume, but he was more focused on the pool of </span>
  <em>
    <span>red </span>
  </em>
  <span>beneath Grian's head. The smell suddenly made a lot more sense, and he felt sick to his stomach. Surely, that much blood couldn't be on the outside of someone and them still be alive, but Mumbo quickly squashed the thought the second it surfaced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grian was on his back, his face turned away and obscured, arms behind him with his wrists still in cuffs. Mumbo crept closer carefully, as if being too loud would disturb the other man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Grian? Hey." He tried again, reaching out once he was close enough. He carefully put his arm under Grian's shoulders, getting no resistance when he lifted him into a sitting position that would be a bit more comfortable than the hard floor. Using the arm that wasn't busy supporting the smaller man's weight, Mumbo reached over the body to put his hand on Grian's cheek, attempting to turn his head where it hung limply so it wouldn't be left at such an awkward and painful looking angle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grian's cheek was sticky and wet, but Mumbo didn't let that stop him, turning his head to face him. Mumbo let out a choked cry at the sight, fighting back the strong urge to vomit at what he saw. In an instant, he dropped the body and fell backwards onto the floor, unable to tear his eyes away despite how much he wanted to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grian's lifeless face stared back at him, the bloody streaks on his face smeared where Mumbo had touched him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh my- Grian- He- I-" Mumbo couldn't get out a full sentence, overwhelmed and horrified. "This- This cannot be real. This isn't real." Mumbos hands went to his head, running through his hair in distress. "This is not a funny prank, you guys. This is too far, you- you-" he was at a loss for words, a weak whimper coming from his throat instead. He composed himself just enough to get closer to Grain's body once more, feeling thoroughly sickened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mumbo reached out a shaky hand, carefully brushing the blood-stained fringe out of Grian's pale face. The dark hole in his forehead where the bullet had entered had since stopped bleeding, the blood that had streamed down his face now half dried and smeared across his cheeks. The sight of the bullet hole made Mumbo gag again, quickly turning his head away from the sight and clamping a hand over his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taking a few deep breaths, he turned back to the body, reaching out once more and wiping his now bloody hand over Grian's cheek, trying to wipe some of the drying blood away so the sight was less horrific. He could feel himself on the verge of a breakdown, chest heaving and tears barely held back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iskall, what happened." He demanded softly, getting a wet sob in reply. Mumbo continued to clean the blood off of Grian's face as best he could with his trembling hands, avoiding the bullet hole as he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He begged me to do it, Mumbo. I swear to you. They- These people, these awful people, they threatened me, Mumbo. They said I had to kill one of you, or they'd make all three of us suffer. I didn't know what else to do, I didn't want to choose, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> choose. After you passed out, Grian begged me to kill him so you could survive." Iskall explained breathlessly through his tears, his voice hoarse from all the crying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who are 'these people'? Shouldn't we report them to the police for this?" Mumbo muttered, mostly to himself. It didn't matter if the people got punished. It wouldn't bring his friend back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't tell you who they are. I'm sorry, I can't tell you." Iskall said, sounding truly regretful. Mumbo didn't ask any more questions, feeling hollow with shock and grief. Iskall finally attempted to stand, using the wall to support his shaking legs. "Come on, Mumbo. I want to get out of here. I can't… I can't stand to keep looking at him." He confessed, staring at the ground with fresh tears threatening to spill down his face. Mumbo looked up at him from where he was still knelt next to the body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure you </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do this?" Mumbo asked, silent tears staining his face. "How could you have been sure of what would happen if you hadn't…" he didn't want to say it out loud, didn't want to acknowledge Grian's death just yet. Iskall's sad face hardened into one of anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You and Grian both doubt me! Why don't you just believe me when I say that I know this wasn't a test, it wasn't a prank, all of our lives were in serious danger! I had no choice and I know it! If there was another option I would have taken it, you know this!" He raised his voice slightly, hurt by the lack of trust. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well I don't know anymore! I also thought I knew you'd never hurt a dear friend, but look how that turned out!" Mumbo argued, turning back to face Grian's body so Iskall couldn't see the anguished tears on his face anymore. "There had to have been another way, this can't be how things end… he was so young, he had so much life ahead of him, this isn't right…" he said softly, speaking to no one in particular. Iskall decided he'd had enough, Mumbo only repeating the same thoughts Iskall had considered while replaying in his head the moment the bullet left his gun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We need to leave now Mumbo, we can have this talk later. The people here won't want us to stick around." He bent down and put a hand on Mumbo's shoulder, surprised when he was brushed off. He frowned, grabbing at the brit's arm more firmly, pulling him into a standing position. Mumbo fought against him weakly, reaching his free hand out to the body on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No! No, we can't just leave him here. Iskall, you can't be serious." He gasped, all anger gone and replaced with panic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We don't have time for this! I was very serious when I said the people here are dangerous, and would jump at the opportunity to hurt any one of us. We are just barely getting out of here ourselves, we can't risk trying to take a body out with us too!" Iskall tried to reason with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You keep saying that but you don't have a shred of proof that 'these people' are as dangerous as you say! For all I know this could all be a set up run by you! Maybe you were just some kind of undercover traitor this whole time and y-years of friendship was all a lie…!" He sobbed at the end of his sentence, no longer fighting against Iskall's grip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're hysterical, Mumbo… We need to get you home. I can't lose both of my friends on the same day." He sighed, putting one arm around Mumbo's shoulders and walking him to the heavy iron door that had locked them all in the small room. Using the same key ring he used to uncuff Mumbo, he inserted the correct key into the door and turned it, the lock opening with a soft click. Iskall didn't notice the horrified look on Mumbo's face until the british man was suddenly yelling at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You had the keys to let us out this whole time! You- You </span>
  <em>
    <span>lied!" </span>
  </em>
  <span>He accused shrilly, trying again to get out of Iskall's grasp. The swedish man held onto him tighter, not letting him get away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If I'd let you out early they'd have captured all of us again and made our lives even worse than they are now!" He snapped back, becoming impatient and simply wishing they could just be over with this day already. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What could possibly be worse than losing my closest friend to the hands of- of someone who I </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought</span>
  </em>
  <span> was also my friend!" Mumbo cried, too weak from all the emotional rollercoaster from the day to break out of Iskall's grasp. Iskall shook his head, dragging Mumbo along with little resistance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You really don't want to know. We can talk about this more when we get home and you've calmed down." He said more softly, trying to ease the tension. Things were stressful enough without the two of them fighting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I hope you can forgive me for this one day, Mumbo… I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself, though." He muttered, not getting a reply other than a soft sob from the man next to him as they walked through the building towards the exit. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thinking about writing the bad end to this. If the timer had run out.....</p></blockquote></div></div>
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